A Kitten of Many Triumphs
by ShandyCandy278
Summary: Emma Annalise Agreste- a Hafukyatto, just like her father. With a dream to go to school, she discovers the unbidden burdens that come along with her amazing friends. Past events might even come into play, but Emma isn't one to back down from a challenge. Please read the Author's Note in the first chapter! It will explain a lot and prevent you from being confused.
1. Chapter 1

_**'A Kitten of Many Triumphs' is the Sequel to 'A Cat of Many Things' and 'A Princess of Many Talents'. When I first started writing it over the summer, I was nervous about uploading it onto her. In this series, 'A Cat of Many Things' was written first- BEFORE Season 2. This is why Emilie's name is Annalise in all three installments of this series. However, writing 'A Kitten of Many Triumphs' was still written with the knowledge of ONLY Season 1, despite the fact that the first part of Season 2, and thus Emilie's name being revealed, was let out.**_

 _ **I wasn't going to go back through and rewrite/edit the WHOLE SERIES just because we all discovered her name. I was determined to keep it within the universe of 'A Cat of Many Things', and keep it in there I did.**_

 _ **Now that that is off my chest, I'd also like to point out some other complaints from the past two series.**_

 _ **1\. This is an AU. There are some things that are canon, but there are other things that are not. Please remember that this series as a whole is an Alternate Universe, and in no way is it meant to fit into the story that Thomas Astruc and ZAG produces. Please do not comment below complaining about how it's 'not canon'- I know it's not.**_

 _ **2\. This will not be the last installment for the series. I plan on writing a lot of bonus chapters that I could have written within the series, but didn't, in their own little fanfiction on here. I will notify all of you when I finally start uploading it.**_

 _ **3\. 'A Princess of Many Talents' is NOT a sequel to 'A Cat of Many Things'. 'A Cat of Many Things' and 'A Princess of Many Talents' are brother/sister stories. This means that they share the same storyline, but not the same POV. Despite the fact that they share the same events, I promise you all that they are both individual stories with different perspectives AND different Epilogues. I'd highly suggest reading them both, or at least one, of these before you continue on with the ACTUAL sequel- 'A Kitten of Many Triumphs'.**_

 _ **4\. I will no longer be responding to reviews unless it is absolutely necessary because life has gotten far too hectic to respond to every single one. This doesn't mean that your reviews are not important- I cherish each and every one of your reviews.**_

 _ **I'd also like to thank you all for all of the support that this series has received, and I really hope that you guys are satisfied with this installment of the series. It ties up a lot of loose ends and finishes everything with a nice red bow on top.**_

7548653757648573759645737069568456767568457565648

Adrien paced anxiously in the waiting room, having been kicked out by his wife earlier. He wrung his hands nervously, fiddling with the ring on his finger.

"Relax," Chloe told her cousin with a roll of her eyes, leaning into her fiance's embrace while she inspected her nails. "If I know anything about Marinette, it's that she'll pull through no matter what."

"But-"

"Queen's right, Adrien," Nathaniel said, planting a kiss on Chloe's head. "Everything will be fine."

"I-I just wish that father could be here." Adrien sighed, sitting down and tapping his foot impatiently. He fixed his glasses on his face so that they were sitting on his nose comfortably.

He had to get a new headband that would support wearing glasses, but it was worth it.

"You know that we had no control over this." Nino pointed out, giving Adrien a soothing pat on the shoulder. "We didn't know that it was going to be early. If we did, I'm sure that your dad would be here, and not already out on that important business trip."

"Besides." Alya continued when it looked like Adrien didn't quite believe his best friend, and her husband, at the moment. "He said that he would be home right away when you called, right? He'll be here, just not right now."

Adrien opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted when the doors unlocked and a nurse came through. When she started walking over to them he stood up instantly and rushed over to her.

"How are they?" He asked.

"Fine." The nurse spoke. "Would you like to see them?" Adrien instantly nodded, and the nurse looked over his shoulder at the other four with a smile. "I'll come and get you when Marinette's ready to see you, okay?"

The nurse guided Adrien past the locked doors and down the halls- Adrien's heart was thudding harshly in his chest as the nurse came to a door and opened it wide, letting him into the room.

He walked in with extreme hesitance, the smell of birth still fresh in the room as he took in the sight.

His wife lay in the bed, sweat plastered on her face as she smiled down at the small bundle in her arms. She looked up and smiled as Adrien walked over, sitting down in the chair next to her bed.

"Adrien…" She sighed, her voice full of love and affection as she looked from him to the bundle in her arms. "Look," Adrien observed their child with great curiosity and awe. Tufts of black hair were on her small head, and her face was completely relaxed as she slept next to her mother.

But the most amazing thing was the small, black cat ears that rested on her head, twitching occasionally as she slept.

Adrien's jaw dropped as his heart stopped beating.

"Emma Annalise Agreste," Marinette spoke again. "A Hafukyatto, just like her father."

"Would you like to hold her?" The nurse asked. Adrien nodded silently, still gobsmacked as the nurse came over, picked up the baby, and gently offered her to Adrien.

Adrien hesitated for a moment before carefully taking his daughter, holding her as though she was the most fragile and precious thing in the world.

Perhaps she was.

The baby made a face, and her black tail managed to escape the blanket's hold, waving in front of her.

Adrien didn't care if he was actually purring or not.

'Oh my gosh!' He thought, tears coming to his eyes. 'I-I'm an actual father!'

"Are you okay?" Marinette asked, reaching over and placing a hand on Adrien's shoulder.

"Fine." Adrien sniffed and carefully wiped the tears from his eyes, smiling a wide and toothy grin as he looked down at their daughter.

They were a family.

Then something occurred to him.

"Princess… I love her, and I love you, and I want to show her off to the world, but…" He looked her in the eye. "How're we supposed to explain this?"

"Explain what?"

"Nino, Alya, and Nathaniel don't know that I'm a Hafukyatto." He whispered, serious. "What- how will they react when they find out? They're going to want to see her, and I don't mind, but what if-"

Before Marinette could even try to comfort her husband, their daughter beat her to it- a minuscule, yet very loud purr echoing throughout the room. They both stared down at their daughter with wide eyes as a smile twitched on the corner of Emma's lips, shifting to look towards Adrien.

Eventually, they both sighed and stared at their daughter in adoration.

"It'll be okay, Adrien." Marinette smiled. "Why don't we let Chloe and Nathaniel in first? Chloe will be able to help explain."

"Okay."

"And-" Marinette rested her head on his shoulder. "Since the nurses said that you could sleep here for a few days, you don't have to hide your ears and tail."

"But-"

"The hospital promised to complete secrecy, remember?" Marinette reminded, booping him on the nose. "Anything that they might see will not be talked about outside of this room and private Nurses quarters. Even the doctor swore to complete secrecy, and only a few have a keycard with access into our room. It's safe." Adrien breathed in deeply and nodded, and Marinette reached up to take off his headband, revealing his black cat-ears. The glasses remained on his face, though Marinette had to fix it so that they could stay in place. Then she looked over to the nurse with a smile.

"Go ahead and send Chloe and Nathaniel in." The nurse nodded and gave the two of them a happy and elated smile before walking out of the room, leaving the family alone. Adrien rested his head on his wife's, listening to not only her heartbeat but the heartbeat of their child.

As they both looked down at her, the baby made another face before squinting her eyes open, staring up at the two of them with beautiful, emerald green eyes.

Nothing could separate them.

Adrien wouldn't let it happen.

02863587283578037857230758372508372857028375802375087258720835

The mischievous, obviously-trying-to-be-sneaky giggles coming from behind him caused his ears to twitch, and he smiled down at the book that he was reading in amusement, fixing his glasses. His ear twitched when he heard the giggles again, and he almost let out a chuckle himself.

Seeing as they were living with his father ever since he insisted that it was a family business, there was plenty of privacy and protection. As such, Adrien didn't have to hide his ears or tail.

And, in turn, neither did his daughter.

They had been playing this game ever since his daughter found out that she could sneak up on people, and so she had tried every day to surprise him.

Much to her disappointment, it didn't work.

He heard her little pitter-patter of feet tread quietly across the carpet, and his ears twitched again. His smile grew.

She was getting better at sneaking around. Pride swelled in his chest.

He waited until right when the small feet were behind him, closing his book calmly before reaching over the arm of the couch and grabbing his daughter. Emma shrieked in surprise and tried to get away, but Adrien managed to pull her closer and attack her with tickles, causing her to gasp and laugh involuntarily.

"P-Pa-Papa!" The five-year-old managed to get through her laughter. "St-Stop~!" Adrien consented to his daughter's will, sitting on the couch and placing her in his lap.

"Oh, alright Em." He sighed, a little disappointed. Emma giggled and hugged her father, nuzzling him as he hugged her back, and they both let out a purr.

They sat there in silence for a little bit until the younger spoke.

"Papa?"

"Yes, Emma?" The five-year-old pulled away from her father's chest, her large, emerald green eyes staring into her father's own green orbs through his lenses.

"Why am I different?"

Adrien's heart stopped as his ears fell back.

Oh…

"What do you mean?" He asked, pulling her a little closer.

"I'm different," Emma stated again. "Cousin Eli doesn't have ears, and neither does Mama, or Grandpa, or Auntie Alya, Auntie Chloe, Uncle Nino, Uncle Nathaniel, and all of those kids on TV. It's only you and me, Papa." She fiddled with her fingers nervously. "We're the only ones that have ears and tails. So we're different. But why?"

Adrien couldn't do anything but pull Emma in for a hug as his heart broke.

He had dreaded having this conversation with her, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before she noticed. She was smart and observant, like her mother. Now was the only time that he wished that she wasn't.

"Oh, my sweet little star…" Were the only words that he could find in himself to say to his little daughter. He breathed in deeply, and then let it out.

He vaguely remembered the words his mother had used to tell him, and he spoke.

"You're right. We are different. But we're different because that's one of the many things that makes us special and unique. And before I tell you why, I want you to know that I will always be here. Our family will always be here, and they might not understand, but they will try to because they love you for you." He pulled out of the hug he had with Emma and smiled at her, despite the tears that wanted to come out of his eyes.

He could tell just by looking that she was confused, and he couldn't blame her.

"Emma Annalise Agreste… we're not like everyone else, because we are Hafukyattos."

"But…" Emma frowned, her ears shifting in confusion. "Aren't we humans?"

"No, not really." Adrien sighed. "We're very similar to them. In a lot of ways, actually. Deep down, we are human." He reached up and gently caressed her cheek, brushing away some of the hair that had fallen out of her braid as she looked up at him. His hand moved up to her ear and he outlined it gently, and Emma let out a small purr. "But they call us Hafukyattos because we look different. Because we have ears and tails that look like a cat's, and because we can act like cats, they think that we're completely different."

"That's not fair," Emma stated bluntly.

"I know." Adrien smiled.

"Is that why you hide your ears and tail?" Emma asked, standing up on her knees to reach up and play with her father's ears.

"Yes." Adrien nodded, smiling at his daughter. "You see, some people won't understand that we only look different. They'll think that we're different in other ways. And they'll also doubt us, criticize us, and make fun of us. And I never want that to happen to you, my little star." Emma nodded in agreement before she spoke.

"Are there other people like us?" She asked.

"Lots."

"Where are they?"

"They live on an island called Japan." He told her. "All the way across the world."

"Why don't we live there?" Emma asked.

"Because your mother and I love Paris, Em. We have lots of family and friends who live here, and they love us just as much as we love them. Cat ears and all." Emma giggled when Adrien nuzzled her nose with his.

"Papa," Emma spoke. "When can I go to school?"

Adrien froze, but he didn't let his daughter see the conflict he was going through with that very question as he answered.

"Your mother and I will talk about it." He said, and Emma groaned.

"You always say that!"

"Well, our family's a very busy family." Adrien pointed out, booping her nose. They both laughed, but on the inside, Adrien was still warring with himself.

On one hand, he wanted Emma to be able to choose for herself if she wanted to go to school or not. He didn't want her to grow up under the strict rules of staying hidden and out of sight that his father had placed upon him. He wanted her to know what it was like to have friends (GOOD friends) and to participate in whatever she wanted to do. He wanted her to be able to have the freedom that he had had while he was Chat Noir, even though that is not a possible outcome anymore.

However, he feared for his daughter should she go. He knew how rowdy and playful kids could be, and he also knew how mean they could be. He didn't want his daughter to be bullied because she was different, and it was only now that he truly saw why his father had waited until he was a mostly responsible seventeen-year-old boy to go. The idea of your child being called names, pushed around, and even ridiculed because they looked different was equally terrifying and anger-inducing.

He shook off the thoughts for a later day as Emma asked if they could go out into grandmother's garden to go and look at all of the pretty flowers.

He still had time to decide what was right for her, right?

But…

She was growing up so fast- it seemed as though it was only yesterday that he was holding her in his arms in that hospital.

How could he have time left if his precious star wouldn't stop growing?

39629763576273659723679562973569723659

Marinette found her husband staring out into the dark Parisian skyline on their balcony. His hair was tousled, as though he had tried to fall asleep but was unable to.

Marinette was going to tell him, but that clearly was not the best thing to do right now.

"Adrien?" She asked, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Emma…" He began and then paused. He looked over his shoulder at her before looking outside again. "Today, Emma asked me why she was different. Why we were different."

"Oh."

"I told her the truth." He explained, running a hand through his hair, ears flat. "I answered all of her questions truthfully. And-And then she asked if she was going to be able to go to school."

"Oh, kitty." Marinette sighed, wrapping her arms around her husband comfortingly.

"I told her that we'd talk about it." Adrien continued. "But-But I'm scared. I don't want her to be hurt, but at the same time, I don't want to keep her cooped up in here. You know as well as I do that she deserves to be able to explore the world- to see everything that she wants to see without having to be afraid. I just wish that I had more time- that I could assure her that no one would make fun of her or treat her differently. But I don't have time- I don't have the ability to do that."

"Adrien," Marinette spoke, her voice soft but stern. "It's okay. Everything will be alright eventually. How about we talk about this tomorrow after we've slept on it?" Adrien turned to look at her, and he pulled her in for a quick hug, breathing in her scent.

And then he froze.

Marinette knew why. He had reacted the same way last time. She felt her smile grow.

"Mari…" Adrien whispered into her ear. "Princess… why-why do you smell different?"

"I-I was going to tell you," Marinette admitted. "But you looked so stressed and worried, I figured that I could tell you later." She leaned out of their hug and booped him on the nose, giggling. "But it looks like you and your ameowsing feline senses caught it."

"Are-Are you serious?" Adrien asked with wide eyes.

"Was I serious the first time, Chaton?" She asked, running a hand up his arm to rest it on his shoulder. She looked up at him from under her lashes, and Adrien didn't think twice before swooping down to kiss her. When they broke for air, Adrien rested his forehead against hers.

"Can you say it?" He asked.

"Of course, my silly kitty." She said, scratching him behind the ear as she stood up on her tippy-toes to whisper her words into the other one.

"We're having another kitten."

937265972365972369756273659726357326

Correction- two kittens.

Twin boys- one with black hair and blue eyes, and the other with blonde hair and green/blue eyes.

Louis and Hugo.

And with Emma on top of that…

They never quite saw all of that mischief coming.

"Chaton, have you seen my eyeliner anywhere?" Marinette called from the bathroom as Adrien fixed up his tie.

"Wasn't it on your Nightstand?"

"That's what I thought, but it's not there and I can't find it in here either!" Adrien hummed, and then they both froze.

"Do you think-"

"I'm pretty sure that we've already agreed that they got it from me." Marinette groaned and Adrien laughed a bit.

"Don't worry, I'll go and make sure."

"Okay, but hurry up! We have to leave in thirty minutes!"

"I will." Adrien walked out of the room and instantly heard the mischievous giggles coming from their daughter's bedroom down the hall. Adrien sighed and stealthily walked over, sneaking the door open to look inside the room.

Sure enough, there his daughter and sons were. They were all laughing at each other, and black marks were covered across their faces with what was unmistakably his daughter's art.

The nine-year-old and her twin three-year-old brothers still had not noticed him standing there, even as the door opened wider. It wasn't until he started chuckling that he got Emma's attention.

"Papa!" She said as she hastily stood up, hiding her mother's eyeliner behind her back.

"Emma." Her father said in a slightly scolding and reprimanding voice. "You know better than to go through your mother's things without her permission."

"But Louis and Hugo wanted to be cats too!" She exclaimed.

"Cats!" The twin boys both shouted in delight. "We wanna cats!"

Adrien shook his head in amusement before walking in all the way and holding his hand out towards Emma. Emma pouted and gave her father the makeup, sulking.

"You know…" Adrien said as he sat up, fixing his glasses as he looked at his children. "If you wanted a cat, you could've just asked instead of drawing on your brother's faces." Emma instantly perked up.

"Could we?" She asked excitedly. "Could we really, truly get a cat?!"

"I'll talk to your mother about it," Adrien said. "Now don't go anywhere- I gotta go and clean you guys up after I give this to your mother."

"Okay!"

"She had it?" Marinette asked when he walked in and handed his wife the eyeliner.

"Hugo and Louis wanted to be cats," Adrien informed, and Marinette scoffed in amusement. "I told Emma that if she wanted a cat, we could go and get one."

"Would you rather send her to school or get her the cat?"

"Get her the cat," Adrien replied without a second thought. Marinette sighed and turned to fully face her husband as he grabbed two of her makeup wipes.

"Adrien, she's gonna have to go to school at some point." She said truthfully. "She's gonna ask again, and you know just as well as I do that her wish for her birthday is going to be just that."

"I know." Adrien sighed. "I-I just need more time." Marinette stared at him for a moment before reaching over and pulling him into a hug.

"How about this." She said after a moment. "When Louis and Hugo are old enough to go to school- not Kindergarten, First Grade- We'll put them and Emma into school too, okay?"

"Okay." Adrien nodded. "Yeah, that… that sounds like a good idea."

"Good." Marinette lightly spanked him. "Now hurry and get our kids cleaned up so that we can leave. We got twenty-two minutes."

"Yes, Ma'am."

8023087380570238750273580275082735087320875082730873057

Adrien no longer thought of it as a good idea.

"Are you sure you want to go?" He asked his thirteen-year-old daughter as they prepared to leave the house. Marinette was helping Hugo put on his shoes, and Louis was talking excitedly about being able to see all of his friends again while playing with their two cats. Plagg (The black cat that Emma chose) and Tikki (The calico cat that Marinette insisted on getting) were meowing for attention and trying to figure out what was going on.

"My answer is still yes, Papa." Emma rolled her eyes as she fiddled with the strap on her backpack while Adrien helped her with her braid. He wasn't able to see her black ears thanks to the headband, and her shirt was made specially to hide her tail- courtesy of Marinette and his father.

He knew that it was necessary, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Is your tail-"

"Yes, Papa."

"How about your-"

"It felt fine when I tried it on yesterday, I doubt that it's gonna feel any different."

"Are you-"

"Papa~!" Emma groaned, exasperated with her father's behavior. "I'll be fine!"

"I know, but you'll always be my little star," Adrien answered as he and Emma finished, turning her around to face him and booping her on the nose. "Now, can you repeat the rules to me?"

"No rough-housing." Emma began to list off. "No showing anyone my tail or my ears. My teachers and the Principal know, so if there are any troubles in class I can go to them. I won't be pulled out if someone does find out, but it is a possibility. Don't let anyone touch my head or hug me tight enough to feel my tail. If anyone bullies me I should talk to you or my teachers. Grandpapa and Grandmaman live right next to the school, so if I need to go anywhere I can go there."

"And most importantly…" Adrien said, and Emma looked up at him curiously as he straightened up her attire. "You're the daughter of Adrien and Marinette Agreste. You are a smart-hard worker, and no matter what happens you will be able to get through it."

Emma giggled and rolled her eyes, but Adrien could tell that she didn't grasp the importance of his words.

"I'm the daughter of Adrien and Marinette Agreste." She repeated. "I'm a smart-hard worker, and no matter what happens I can get through it."

Adrien carefully placed the headband over her head, watching with a little sadness as it covered her black ears before gently ruffling her hair. "That's my little star."

"Come on, kids, we don't want you to be late on the first day!" Marinette called out as she began to walk Hugo and Louis to the car.

"We're coming!" Adrien called out as he and Emma rushed over there as well. Marinette got to the driver's seat first, and they quickly drove over to the school that Marinette used to go to.

The school where Emma was going to go.

Adrien bit his lip worriedly as he watched her skip away, waving goodbye to the car as she rushed into the school.

He was not going to cry.

They swiftly dropped off the twins at the lower grade school, and then drove home. Adrien took a deep breath.

He would not cry.

The car stopped, but neither Adrien nor Marinette got out. Marinette reached over and rested a hand on Adrien's shoulder, and he turned to look at her only to see tears swimming in her own eyes.

"Oh, Princess." He sighed, reaching over and pulling her into a hug. "She-She's growing up too fast, Mari. They all are."

"I know, Adrien," Marinette replied, combing a hand through his hair. "I know."


	2. Chapter 2

School was different.

Emma realized this as her skip slowed to a stop in the courtyard of the school, looking around in utter awe at all of the kids- both older and her age- that were there.

She stood up a little straighter.

' _You can do this, Emma.'_ She told herself. ' _You've only wanted to go here ever since you figured out what it was. No pressure.'_

She looked down at the paper her mother handed her and followed the outlined schedule and map to her locker, and then up to the Principal's office. Emma needed to tell him that she was here and ready to take on the day, and then he could explain other things to her.

Emma walked up the stairs and stood in front of the principal's office, staring up at it nervously. What was the principal like? Her parents said that he was generally nice but strict with the rules. She quickly looked down at her attire. She was wearing black flats and black skinny capris. She also was wearing a light green shirt with a black cat stitched in the lower front left of the shirt. The silver ring that her father had given her for her birthday was on her right ring finger, and she reached up to feel the black earrings that her mother had given her that same birthday. Both were family heirlooms, whether they looked it or not.

Everything was up to the school's dress standards, so she was completely good to go. Emma took a deep breath and then let it out, opening up the door.

 _No going back now._

When she opened the door, it wasn't just the Principal- there were also two other students. She felt her ears twitch with curiosity.

"Ahh, Emma Agreste, correct?" He asked, and Emma nodded. "Seeing as it's your first day, I asked the two most trustworthy students in our school to come and tour you around." He gestured off to them.

"I'm Elizabeth Le Chien." A brunette with short, messy pink-tipped hair and grey eyes said, reaching up to mess with the worn cap on her head. She wore a black shirt with White patches on her shoulders and sides. She wore ripped blue shorts that went down to her knees and had black sneakers. "But call me Eliza or Liz, it's easier."

"I-I'm Kage Couffaine." The other spoke. He had messy black hair with what looked to be a Jedi braid behind his left ear and a red leather jacket over a black shirt featuring Jagged Stone. He had slightly ripped jeans and black shoes. A guitar case was hanging over his shoulders, and he was a little taller than them. He was fiddling with a ring on his finger. "Well, a lot of people call me Kage, but my name's actually pronounced Ka-ge, not Ka-je. Hard G instead of a soft G. O-Of course, you can call me whichever one is easiest, I know that it's hard to think of-"

"I like Ka-ge." Emma tried the pronunciation out, and a light dusting of pink highlighted the boy's cheeks. "I'm Emma, but you can call me Em' if you want." Elizabeth looked to the side and raised an eyebrow in a 'seriously' fashion at nothing in particular. Then she rolled her eyes and looked back at the scene before her.

"Now, why don't you go on and take her on a tour before heading to homeroom?" The Principal asked. "I've already excused you from your first few classes."

"Come on, Em'." Elizabeth began to walk out of the room in a bored fashion. "If you follow this dork around, you'll never hear the end of his stuttering and rambling."

"I-I resent that!" Kage shouted after Elizabeth, and Emma giggled as she followed the two out.

"Where's your sister cousin, anyway?" Elizabeth asked as they walked down the stairs. "She was supposed to help us out with this, right?"

"Julia sick with the cold," Kage answered. "Aunt Juleka and Rose insisted she stay home, even though it's not bad."

"Pfft, that sounds like them." Elizabeth moved her hands up to rest them behind her head as she walked. "Bunch of softies."

"S-So, uh, what do you l-like to do for fun, Emma?" Kage asked as they turned a corner.

"Basketball and video games," Emma answered easily. "And I love listening to music, but Papa's tried to teach me and it never really clicked. The only creative thing I can really do is sing."

"O-Oh." Kage bit his lip before speaking again. "Do you have a favorite genre?"

"I like all of them," Emma admitted with a shrug. "I guess it depends on my mood. What about you?"

"Well, I-I love music, and I fence o-on the side," Kage admitted. "I-I guess that you can say I got it fr-from my parents, b-but other than that I don't have anything."

"What about you, Elizabeth?"

"I was serious about the nickname thing, Em'," Elizabeth said, looking at the two from over her shoulder. "And I do all kinds of things- skateboard, softball, track, basketball, dodgeball-"

"Basically any physical thing besides fencing." Kage dead-panned.

"Fencing's a sissy sport."

"I-Is not!"

"Whatever, dork." Elizabeth looked at Emma and stage-whispered the next part. "And that's not an insult- he is a literal dork."

"I-I can still hear you, you idiot," Kage mumbled, his face growing another shade pinker. Emma giggled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay- mama says that papa and I are big dorks too."

"Ugh, don't tell me that we're having a dork invasion!" Elizabeth groaned.

"Do-Do you watch anime?"

"Of course, who do you think I am?"

"You two make me _sick_."

89236975632756723675673267569723657962375672365976295639

"How was school today, little star?" Adrien asked once Emma hopped in the car. He looked at her through the rearview mirror- he was driving this time because Marinette and his father had been summoned by an emergency at the company.

"It was great- I made two friends today! They're really cool- oh, and you'd love Kage!"

"Kage?" Adrien asked as he pulled out and began to drive them home. "Who's that?"

"Kage Couffaine- he's amazing!" Emma said, and Adrien nearly choked on his own spit. "He plays the guitar and he's a fencer like you trained to be! And he loves Anime too!"

"O-Oh?"

"And then we have Eliza Le Chien! Well, her full name is Elizabeth, but she'd rather go by Liz or Eliza. She's such a tomboy, but she's really cool to hang out with! The only person I don't think that I can be friends with is Layla, but they assured me that she was antisocial towards everyone." His daughter continued, unaware of her father's current state. "Our teacher's super nice too- I'm sure mom would love her."

"That sounds great." Adrien managed to say, glancing back at Emma before returning his eyes to the road. "Do you have any homework that you have to do?"

"Yeah, but I did it during class. It was really easy." She elaborated. "How was your day, papa?"

"The norm." Adrien sighed. "It's only the first day of school and some students already think that Physics is gonna be an easy course." Emma giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Physics is anything but easy, Papa."

"You know that, and I know that, but they don't know that." Adrien quoted. "Here we are- your brothers should be getting out right now."

When the boys hopped in, conversation instantly turned to them, so Emma looked out the window instead.

S _he couldn't wait for tomorrow._


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, Em', are you gonna sign up for the basketball team?" Elizabeth asked when Emma walked up to her the next day. Emma shrugged.

"My parents said that they would talk about it." She admitted. "They're nervous about putting me on an actual team."

"Your parents are too _overprotective_." Elizabeth scoffed, looking around. "Have you seen Kage yet?"

"No," Emma admitted. Elizabeth caught sight of Kage walking in and freezing when he saw them, and she smirked.

"Oi, Dork! About time you arrived! You're usually earlier than this!" She called out, and Emma turned around to watch as Kage jogged over to them, scratching at the back of his neck.

"Yeah, m-my younger sister turned my alarm o-off for me."

"Excuses excuses." Elizabeth shook her head in mock disappointment. "Did you do the homework?"

"O-Of course I did." He said. "Though, i-it might've taken a while…"

"I did it during class," Emma admitted, and they both turned and stared at her in shock. She looked between the two of them. "What?"

" _How?"_

"Well, it's easy, you just have to remember the Pythagorean theorem and-"

"Girl, I think you being homeschooled made you smarter than the rest of us." Emma blushed and laughed nervously.

"No, Papa and Mama made sure that I was learning things at the same pace as most schools, so I'm not that much smarter. Papa must've just taught me a little more last year."

"Excuse me." A soft, emotionless-sounding voice spoke, and all three of them turned to look at the girl that had walked forward. She had straight bangs framing her face, and they were black just like the rest of her hair- which was long and placed in a side ponytail. She fiddled with the glasses resting on her nose, calmly looking at them. She wore a black jacket and some skinny jeans.

"Oh, hello Layla." Emma greeted happily. "Did you need anything?"

"I, uh, just wanted to warn you." She admitted, shifting onto her other foot. "That, uh, Amy's on the warpath." Kage and Elizabeth groaned simultaneously.

"Great, you better go and hide in the janitor's closet again, Kage." Elizabeth pointed out.

"Who's Amy?"

"Sh-She's in a different cl-class, but her father is a major business owner," Kage answered, looking around nervously as his hands reached for his guitar case. "E-Everyone fears her- she's _merciless_."

"What's got her in a fit this time?" Elizabeth asked, and Layla pointed at Emma. Emma blinked and pointed at herself for affirmation.

" _Me?"_

"Your family's company is one of the few that's bigger than her father's," Layla confirmed with a nod. "She knew that you were coming, but then she must've overheard some people talking good things about you."

"How do you know this?"

"Layla is what you could consider Amy's 'friend'." Elizabeth used her fingers to use air quotes. "But Layla's always up to giving us a heads up- so thanks. We better hide now."

"Wait- hide?" Emma asked, her eyebrows furrowing. "Who said anything about _hiding_?"

"Girl, you do _NOT_ want to get on Amy's bad side." Elizabeth tried to push Emma away while Kage and Layla nodded in agreement, but Emma didn't budge an inch.

"She's a bully, right?" Emma asked, her gaze hardening.

"Yeah, e-everyone knows that." Kage pointed out.

"Then I'm not going to hide. Let her come at me- I'm not scared of her." Emma said confidently. The three others stared at her like she had grown a second head, so she sighed. "Layla, do you know how long it is until this Amy gets here?"

"Yeah, in about a minute." Layla checked her watch on her wrist. "I-I should go now to meet her." The Blackett turned and walked away.

"E-Emma, I'm serious, we should go a-and hide," Kage said as Elizabeth began to try and pull Emma away instead of push, seeing as the latter option didn't work. "Whatever you're pl-planning, she _will_ make it her personal goal to-to make your life _miserable_."

"I've encountered a bully once," Emma replied, not moving. "I hated them more than anything. I hated what they did to me and my cousin, and I hated how I felt because of them. I'm not going to let that happen again- to me or my friends."

"That's really brave of you Em', but-"

"If you're n-not gonna change your mind…" Kage interrupted, moving to step behind Emma. "Th-Then I'll be here for y-you."

" _What?!"_

"Thanks, Kage." Emma smiled up at him.

"You guys watch too much anime- you can't be _serious_!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"A-Are you gonna go?" Kage asked, raising an eyebrow. Elizabeth scoffed.

"No, I'm just pointing out how stupid you two are being." She huffed, folding her arms and staring pointedly at nothing-in-particular.

"Thanks." Emma smiled. "It's nice to know that I have such great friends."

"Y-Yeah, and now you're gonna wi-wish that you had listened to us," Kage said as he pointed ahead, and Emma looked forward only to see a girl walk into the school with her head held high. The student population instantly moved to let her and Layla, who was walking behind her, pass. She had her blonde green-highlighted hair hanging loose, her emerald eyes sharp and almost deadly as they took in the scene around her. She held a clutch purse in one hand as she looked around, her eyes landing on Emma and growing sharper (if that was possible).

She walked over, swaying her hips and showing off her designer clothes as her high heels clicked across the floor. Emma stood strong under her gaze, her emerald green eyes full of determination as Kage and Elizabeth both scooted a bit more behind Emma. Layla was giving Emma a sympathetic look while Amy looked Emma up and down.

"Agreste." She greeted promptly, her voice harsh and full of false sweetness.

"I'm afraid that we've never met before," Emma responded in a similar tone, and that seemed to throw Amy for a loop. "You might know _me_ , but I don't know _you_."

Amy tched, resting a hand over her cocked hip as she stared Emma in the eye. "I'm Amy Caron, daughter of Harry Caron, owner of Caron Incorporated." She looked behind Emma at Kage and Elizabeth and rolled her eyes. "I can see that you've already made friends with the _losers_ instead of with the right sort of people."

"I think you have your definitions mixed up," Emma replied calmly. "If you don't mind me asking, _why_ are you talking to me?"

"This school is _mine_." She said, nearly growling. "Everyone here is under my beck and call, and even though _your_ parents are famous, that doesn't make _you_ any different. Agreste is such a dull name, anyway." Amy rolled her eyes, but when she opened her mouth to continue, Emma interrupted her.

" _Excuse_ _me?_ " A terrifyingly scary vibe was coming off of Emma as she glared at Amy, who appeared to be unaffected by it. Emma's eye twitched.

"What?" Amy asked.

"You need to correct your sentence." Emma hissed. "This school does _not_ belong to you, _no one_ here is your servant, and don't you _dare_ insult _my_ family."

"What, are you saying that it's _yours_?" Amy asked.

"No, I'm telling you to get down from your ' _high and mighty'_ pedestal before _someone_ gets hurt." Emma replied, her hiss growing louder and being nearly constant throughout the conversation. The hair on the back of her head stood on end, and Amy actually looked taken aback for a moment before quickly hiding her shock.

"Oh?" She asked. "Well listen here, _Agreste_ -"

" _No_." Emma took a defiant step closer, and the crowd that had been watching gasped. " _You_ listen here. I'm not gonna let you bully me, or my friends, or the rest of the school, around. I _don't_ _care_ who your parents are or how _influential_ they might be, but whatever control over the school and tyranny _you_ used ends _right here, right now_."

Amy growled and looked around at the crowd before leaning in, and green met green in a competitive staring contest.

"You better watch your back, _Agreste_." Amy finally hissed before walking away and snapping her fingers. Layla sent a small smile to Emma before quickly rushing off after Amy. Emma let out the breath that she was holding as the crowd began to go wild.

"Emma, that-that was _amazing_!" Kage said in utter awe as Elizabeth punched Emma lightly in the shoulder.

"Girl, you _totally_ got her!"

"Thanks," Emma replied. Everyone began talking to her at once, congratulating her.

"But, I-I have to ask…" Kage spoke after the crowd dissipated and they made their way to class. "Wh-What was with the hissing?"

"Hi-Hissing?" Emma asked, growing a bit pale. "What hissing?"

"You were hissing while you were telling her off," Elizabeth said, raising her arms up to place her hands behind her head. She was smirking- almost knowingly. "It was actually _really_ intimidating. Remind me not to get on your bad side."

' _Crap.'_ Emma thought. ' _If Mama and Papa find out, I'm dead.'_

"I-I didn't know that I was hissing!" Emma said worriedly. "I-I didn't mean to hiss!"

"Chill, girl." Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she opened the door to class. "You've made a name for yourself. Everyone _but_ Amy's gonna love you!"

"But I didn't _want_ to be popular. I just wanted to go to school and _fit in_." Emma muttered sadly to herself. Kage opened his mouth to try to reassure his friend, but the bell rang and their teacher called for everyone to get to their seats.

And Kage sat in the very back on the opposite side of the classroom, while Emma and Elizabeth sat together in the very front.

He sighed, planning to talk to her about it later.


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn't until lunch that they met up in one of the corners of the courtyard to eat.

"I can't believe that they're already giving us an essay," Elizabeth complained as she pulled out her lunch box. Kage pulled out his sack lunch, and Emma pulled hers out too.

"I've learned about essays." She admitted. "But I've never had to do one on something that was assigned to me before. Papa always let me choose what I wanted to write about. Said that I should learn how to research, just in case."

"I-I'm good with words, but o-only in a creative way," Kage admitted, opening up the brown paper bag and reaching inside for some food. "Mother's tried to help m-me before, but I always fail at it."

"Some people just aren't compatible with some of the things that they teach in school." Elizabeth shrugged. "Once you learn that, it's not a big deal."

"Have you written any songs?" Emma asked, looking over Kage's shoulder and at his guitar, which he seemed to bring with him everywhere.

"Uh, yeah." Kage nodded, blushing as he scratched the back of his neck. "I've come u-up with a few songs, b-but they're not any good."

"We'll never know, cause you'll never share them." Elizabeth scoffed before biting into an apple. Emma swallowed part of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that she was eating to look up at him.

"You don't share your music?"

"I-It's not ready to be heard yet." He admitted with a blush, ducking his head. "None of them are."

"Well, when they are, could you sing some to us?" Emma asked, tilting her head to the side and smiling up at him cutely.

"S-Sure!" He said, his entire face going red. "I-I'd love to show it to you!"

"Oi, dork, she's talking about me too." Elizabeth pointed out, smirking. Emma giggled as Kage instantly began to apologize.

Her friends were amazing.

Suddenly Layla ran up to them, slightly out of breath.

"Amy… follow you… trying to get… blackmail…" Was all she managed to get out while she panted.

"And she's already on the move." Elizabeth sighed. She looked up at the sky and seemed to mouth 'why', much to the befuddlement of those around her. They chose to ignore it.

"Don't worry- the paparazzi are always doing something like that," Emma admitted. "I just have to let Papa know after school and he and mama will help me take care of it."

"If… you're sure." Layla sighed, having mostly caught her breath. "Amy's limo took her to her house- do you mind if I eat with you guys?"

"Not at all!" Emma picked up her stuff and scooted over so that Layla could sit with them. Layla blinked, a little shocked, before sitting down to eat with them. Emma's smile grew as she dug into her lunch.

Real friends.

She always liked the sound of that.

But now… now it was a reality.

She wouldn't trade anything out for this.

84848377373848484873637277484848377373748383746373883737

"You want to be on the basketball team?" Adrien asked, and Emma nodded. Her tail swished behind her almost nervously while she picked at the food on her plate and hesitantly looked up. Her father's ears were at complete attention, and his tail was tense- a sign that he was either against the idea or unsure on his opinion.

"Yes," Emma affirmed. "Eliza mentioned trying out for the team as well, and that it would be nice to have a friend there with her. I know how you guys feel about it, but I figured if I asked we could maybe… I don't know, talk about it?"

Her father seemed to scowl at himself, and Gabriel watched it all from the other end of the table while Marinette placed a hand over her husband's. Hugo and Louis were sharing a look and whispering to each other across from Emma.

She just wished that they'd shut up for once while she was trying to have a serious conversation with her father.

"We'll think about it." Marinette finally spoke, giving her daughter a supportive smile.

Emma knew that that was code for her mother trying to convince her father that it was definitely a good/bad idea. She couldn't tell which side her mother was on though- she was always the harder one to read. From the look on her grandfather's face, he'd be apart of the conversation/argument too.

"Uh, sign-ups are next Friday." She added. "Or, at least the sign-ups for the tryouts. Eliza said that Coach is easy to talk to and compromise with. Then again, she also said that the coach was her mother, so…"

"What's her name?" Adrien asked.

"Alix Le Chien, I think," Emma replied, and her parents shared a look. "What? Do you know her?"

"We'll… talk about it." Was all that her father answered with, and Emma scowled.

She hated being left in the dark.

"Okay."


End file.
